September 09, 2016

Watson Coleman Supports Standing Rock Sioux Efforts to Stop the Dakota Access Pipeline

For Immediate Release:

Washington, DC (September 9, 2016) — Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) sent a letter to Dave Archembault II, Chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, expressing her support for their efforts to prevent the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) from crossing into and desecrating tribal land. 

“This pipeline presents a major threat to the local environment, and a tremendous infringement on ancestral land rights for the Standing Rock Sioux community,” Watson Coleman wrote.  “The federal government has a duty to protect all Americans, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized. Instead, it appears that in the case of DAPL, the Army Corps of Engineers has set aside the serious health, safety, and cultural objections of the Standing Rock Sioux and failed to provide adequate opportunity for them to weigh in.

“This pattern of action approvals is all too common in our nation.  In my own community, residents have been vocal in their opposition to several proposed energy infrastructure projects that also pose significant threat or both environment and land rights, including the PennEast natural gas pipeline and a Williams Transco compressor station.  Similar to the case of the Standing Rock Sioux and their supporters, residents in my community regularly express frustration that federal regulators consistently fail to consider the concerns of surrounding communities in favor of rubber stamping approvals on these projects.”

To see the full letter, click here